Do You Delegate it or Do it?

[tconnor]

Business Management Tips #264
Do You Delegate it or Do it?

One of the biggest weaknesses of poor managers is their inability or unwillingness to delegate tasks, responsibilities or outcomes. In order to be an effective manager you need to know what you can delegate, when you can delegate it and who you can delegate it to. The role of a manager is not to do it but to get other people to do it.

There are exceptions, such as personal producing managers and self-employed business owners who have small staffs. Even these people can delegate some things to someone else. You can use subcontractors, cottage help or temporary employees.

Here are a few of the keys to effective delegation.

1. Delegate it if someone else can do it, wants to do it, needs to do it or likes to do it.
2. When you delegate responsibility also delegate the authority to use the resources to get it done.
3. Delegate results not necessarily the methods.
4. When you delegate something don’t take it back.
5. Ensure the person understands what and why you have delegated to them.
6. Set benchmarks or checkpoints and then leave them alone.
7. Reinforce positive results and give feedback on negative results.
8. Communicate clear instructions, expectations and guidelines.
9. Recognize and accept it won’t be done the way you would do it.
10. Use delegation as an employee development tool.
11. Resist the tendency to over inspect.
12. Put it in writing if necessary.
13. Ask for regular written or verbal reports.
14. Remember what you delegated and to whom.
15. See failure not as a negative but necessary if people are to be willing to stretch, learn and grow.

One of the biggest frustrations of many managers is the lack of time to perform all of the work required of them in their role as a manager. Think of delegation as nothing more than giving yourself the opportunity to spend more time in the vital areas of your job such as; planning, organizing, inspecting, coaching and innovating, and developing people.

Why not take a serious look at how you are spending your time and what tasks you are involved in that could be delegated to someone else. Track your use of time for a week logging all of the repetitive activities, problem solving routines, crisis management issues and routine stuff.

Ask yourself at the end of the week: Could someone else (or some other department) have done this? What did I not complete because of these actions? I personally guarantee that you can free up at least an hour a day if you will find creative ways to delegate something, anything.